Christopher wrote:
Níor bhlais an bia nach mblaisfidh an bás. 'There is no one who has eaten food who death will not eat', is given in Ó Dónaill's dictionary with the same meaning. Maybe someone can offer a better translation.
Yon dictionary gives "All men are mortal" as a good translation of this proverb
Christopher, the verb 'blais' = 'taste' rather than 'eat' (though sometimes it can be translated as 'eat', of course). '...nach mblaisfidh an bás' = 'who will not taste death', not 'who death will not taste' . Literally (in proverb-style English): 'He didn't taste food who will not taste death' - 'He' being understood.
Various ways to translate this, including the very literal
Caithfidh gach duine bás a fháil.
My own favourite version (because I love that copula bugger in spite of itself) is from the dictionary, so presumably it's by some famous writer:
Is dual dúinn uile an bás - 'We all must die/Death comes to us all' (literally, 'Death is natural for us all').